Brookline Bird Club – America’s most active bird club!

Parker River NWR–Hellcat, Essex, Massachusetts, US

Aug 21, 2026 5:16 PM – 8:16 PM

Protocol: Stationary

Checklist Comments:    Weather: 70°F, Overcast, Calm. 

It was an amazing experience to see the thousands of Tree Swallows go to roost at Hellcat – and – hear Whip-Poor-Will serenade us as we drove off island.♡

40 species

Canada Goose  1

Mallard  5

Mourning Dove  2

Eastern Whip-poor-will  17    Heard singing from Hellcat parking lot and as we drove off island.

Killdeer  5

Semipalmated Plover  125

Short-billed Dowitcher  4

Spotted Sandpiper  3

Solitary Sandpiper  1    Seen feeding and preening on the north side of the dike at Hellcat.

Lesser Yellowlegs  12

Greater Yellowlegs  34

White-rumped Sandpiper  1

Least Sandpiper  5

Semipalmated Sandpiper  40

Ring-billed Gull  1

American Herring Gull  7

Common Tern  8

Double-crested Cormorant  21

Glossy Ibis  3

Yellow-crowned Night Heron  2    Seen sitting on the marsh on the north side of the dike at Hellcat.

Black-crowned Night Heron  1

Snowy Egret  7

Great Egret  11

Great Blue Heron  2

Osprey  1

Northern Harrier  1

Downy Woodpecker  1

Eastern Phoebe  2

Eastern Kingbird  1

Tree Swallow  230000    Thousands upon thousands of swallows coming in to roost at Hellcat.

Purple Martin  24

Barn Swallow  15000    Thousands upon thousands of swallows coming in to roost at Hellcat.

Marsh Wren  1

European Starling  5

Cedar Waxwing  4

Eastern Towhee  1

Brown-headed Cowbird  1    Female cowbird hopping along the dike hunting for insects.

Common Grackle  2

Common Yellowthroat  1

Northern Cardinal  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S386814572

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